Benzene and methanol are two essential commodity chemicals for chemical industries. Butanals (butyraldehydes), butanols, dimethyl ether (DME), as well as other chemicals, are value added performance chemicals.
Benzene (C6H6) has traditionally been obtained from petroleum feed sources. Industrial benzene production generally uses one of the following chemical processes: catalytic reforming, toluene hydrodealkylation, toluene disproportionation, and naphtha steam cracking. Traditional processes are becoming less economically viable as petroleum feed sources become more expensive. Natural gas is poised to replace petroleum feed sources as the primary source material used by the petrochemical industry. Direct conversion of methane (CH4) to aromatics produces benzene at very high selectivity, with hydrogen as the main by-product. The separation of hydrogen from the benzene product, however, requires an expensive separation process, typically cryogenic separation, pressure swing adsorption (PSA), or both.
Methanol (CH3OH) is the simplest alcohol. The most significant use of methanol is in the production of other chemicals. In many instances, methanol is produced from synthesis gas (syngas). Synthesis gas is a fuel/gas mixture composed mainly of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and usually small quantities of carbon dioxide. Methanol may be produced from synthesis gas in a catalytic industrial process directly from carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen. To produce methanol, carbon monoxide and hydrogen react over a catalyst. The most commonly used catalyst is a mixture of copper, zinc oxide, and alumina, and produces methanol with a high selectivity as per the following formulas:CO+2H2→CH3OHCO2+3H2→CH3OH+H2O
Hydroformylation of a syngas stream with a propylene stream may provide an oxo-aldehydes (butanals) stream that can be used for production of oxo-alcohols (butanols). Hydroformylating the propylene stream and the syngas stream may provide an aldehyde stream including n-butanal (NBAL) and isobutanal (IBAL). Hydrogenating the aldehyde stream may produce corresponding alcohol streams.CO+H2+C3H6→C3H7CHO+H2→C4H9OH
Processes for the production of methanol and butyraldehydes, however, are not typically integrated with other systems and may not utilize alternative feed stocks.
Needs exist for improved systems and methods for increasing efficiency of feed stock conversion to benzene, methanol, butyraldehydes and other value added chemicals.